Abandoned, vacant, fire damaged, or buildings undergoing rehab are often targets for trespassers and for criminal or dangerous activity because, among other reasons, such structures typically include doors and windows which allow ready entry and egress into the structures. It is difficult to adequately secure the doors and windows or to otherwise keep trespassers from being readily able to break and enter into such structure through the doors or windows using wood, dogs or guards. Not only can criminal or other dangerous activity of trespassers detrimentally impact the value of the property, it also creates significant liability risks to the property owners and public safety personnel and causes a drain on public safety personnel through the need to patrol, nuisance calls, and fires.
The recent economic down turn in conjunction with the collapse several years ago of the real estate market has created thousands, if not hundred of thousands, of abandoned or vacant buildings, dwellings, commercial buildings or other structures that are unsecured from criminal removal of items therein, including appliances, windows, furnaces, copper pipe, copper tube, copper wire, etc. Additionally, because such structures typically become abandoned or vacated due to poor economic circumstances, it follows that the funds available to secure or protect such abandoned or vacant structures from trespassers and criminal activity typically are substantially limited.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,656,664 and 8,756,883 provide examples of systems and assemblies for securing doors and windows of abandoned or vacant homes. Although these systems and assemblies have achieved success in the marketplace, as with any industry, there are benefits to increasing efficiencies and reducing costs.